Not Just Another Coffee Shop!

#boutiquelido#poncha#pasteldenata#portuguesetarts#Funchal#recipe

A favourite spot in Funchal is this quaint coffee shop/ bakery that opens daily from 6 AM to 11 PM.

                              

Our first experience here was one day for a light lunch, a yummy sandwich made on a fresh baked Portuguese bun, a little wine and of course our first authentic "Pastel de Nata" aka custard tart. 

All the bread and pastries are baked fresh daily on site.

It was absolutely the best ... creamy custard filling in a light, flaky phyllo pastry shell.

And I can't forget to mention the aromatic coffees from frothy cappuccinos to espressos.

The owners, managers and staff make this place jump with their bubbly personalities. 

All customers are treated like long time friends, neighbours and as you leave the common saying is "See you tomorrow"! 

And I'm sure many return the next day!

One night the girls decided that we should wear some traditional hats for our photo op.

On our last evening in Funchal we went here for something light for our dinner as we had eaten our main meal for lunch.

 

Elaina and Maryanne were working this shift with their vibrant personalities drawing in the customers.

We were told we should try the "Poncha". 

"Poncha is a traditional alcoholic drink from the island of Madeira, made with distilled alcohol made from sugar cane juice, honey, sugar, lemon rind and with different fruit juices according to the version of Poncha, but traditionally lemon juice is used." This is Wikipedia's description.

It is mixed together with a mixing tool created in Madeira called a mexelote.

In Madeira it is said that Poncha cures the common cold and people are encouraged to drink it if they have cold-like symptoms, it's similar to a hot toddy only thing it's served cold.

Here it is made from scratch ... we watched as Elaina made a small pitcher for the two of us.

Poncha for Two

The juice of 1 lemon 

The juice of 1 Orange

1 1/2 ounces of rum could be used in place of the "Aguardente de Cana"

Good plunger of honey 

Put everything in the pitcher and muddle with the wooden stir stick and it's ready to enjoy!

A new refreshing drink that we can recreate and serve to our guests on a hot Summer day! 

 

This is a popular drink when the locals are socializing.

                 

Here we are ready to taste this special drink of "Poncha"...

The "Boutique Lido" Bakery/ Coffee Shop is located at :

Estrada Momumental, 294 -Sao Martinho - Funchal, Madeira.

Thank you Claudio, Maryanne and Elaina for your wonderful service and delicious food and drinks.

And as you say ... See you tomorrow!

                  

Our Friday in Funchal - Part Two

#armazemdosal#200yearoldsaltwarehouse#providingmemorableexperiences#funchal#madeiraisland

#tasteofportugueseislands#market#passionfruit#fishmarket

23 November 2015

Well the unpacking, laundry, grocery shopping are all finished and we are getting back to some semblance of our daily life; so here I am trying to finish my posts before I forget the memories.

********************************************

After our wonderful tour of the Presidental grounds we wandered on to spend the rest of our Friday in Funchal.

First requirement was a cool refreshment at a jolly cafe where we were seranaded by a character playing his guitar and dancing in the street. We had heard this man play the other day.

Senhor Honey asked him to play "Moon River" but he said he didn't quite know it well enough to play it for us. 

And of course we just had to have his CD ... more of a way to pay it forward and secondly a little souvenir from our trip.

We strolled some different streets and found an inviting looking restaurant for lunch.

The restaurant is located in a 200-year+ old salt warehouse.

                         

    

The ambiance and decor was perfect for our last lunch in Funchal.

We enjoyed a mouth-watering lunch of swordfish served over linguine stained with octopus ink, fresh salad plate and a shared scrumptious plum cheesecake for dessert!

From here we found our way to the market ... it was a riot of colours!

The market occupies a whole quarter and was planned as a miniature town with streets, squares and a central patio. It was designed by the architect Edmundo Tavares and the construction was completed in 1940. The inauguration was on November 24th, 1940.

The glazed tile panels at the main entrance and at the fish market are from Battistini, Maria Portugal factory.

                      

 This is a close up photo of the tiled walls ...

The fish market was closing up for the day ... tuna and black scabbard fish.

Now for some colour ... let's stroll through the Market streets and squares!

             

We've never seen so many varieties of passion fruit ... and we couldn't turn a corner without being offered tastes of all of them!

After seeing the abundance of these delicious fruits I now know why there are so many passion fruit desserts served in the restaurants.

These red ones were our favourites ... tasting like cherries!

        

Some of the buildings along the way back to the hotel ...

            

It was another busy day of discovery ... 

More of "Our Taste of the Portuguese Islands" to Come!

#MadeiraIsland#TheAzores#SanMiguelIsland#TasteofPortugal

We are safe and sound back home from our mini tour that I've named "Our Taste of the Portuguese Islands". 

When I say "Taste" I don't just mean the "eating and drinking" of the delicious foods and great tasting wines. 

Because of the short length of this adventure we only experienced a small amount or a taste of everything as in the history, culture, nature and entertainment both islands have to offer.

We took many "steps" over the days on both islands discovering many interesting places to visit, meeting new people and of course tasting some great local foods.

A flower-lined stone stepped stairway from the lower street to the next terraced street in Funchal, Madeira.

                             

I still have 100's of photos and memories to share that I will be posting over the next few weeks ...

first there is the unpacking, laundry, restocking of the kitchen cupboards and fridge and some time to visit with the family and friends. 

I'll be posting soon!

An old stairway in Ponta Delgada, San Miguel.

                      

Rain Fade in Ponta Delgada!

I'm trying to do some posts, however the Wi-Fi connection seems to be as foggy as yesterday's adventure in the San Miguel mountains.

I have several posts written but the connection won't let me save them, please be patient the posts/ photos will be coming soon!

Touring the Presidential Grounds in Funchal

#Funchal

Friday was our last full day in Funchal and surprisingly a very busy day!

In fact with so many beautiful photo opportunities, the day will be recorded in more than one post.

When we walked by the President's residence the grounds were open to the public.

What an amazing estate! 

Join us as we wander on the ocean- washed rounded lava stone pathways through the beautiful landscaped gardens with flora and fauna from around the world.

The property has it's own chapel ...

The shutter of my camera was very busy trying to capture the green lushness and kaleidoscope of colours in the various gardens.

Each tree, shrub, plant and flower is labeled with it's name and country/continent of origin.

This includes Africa, Asia, South America, Australia and New Zealand probably reflecting Portugal's heritage of sailing and far flung empire.

The peacock house ...

And the colourful parrots have their own domain ...

 

The property is high above the harbour, overlooking the cruise ship terminal and marina ...

                               

   

 

The Presidential Car ...

                

    

         

                      

More of our day to follow ...